


Been here before and it just feels right (strangers tonight)

by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)



Series: Texts from the pack [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Banter, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski are the Same Age, Flirting, M/M, Post-High School, Reunions, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20045389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dutchmoxie/pseuds/dearericbittle
Summary: Derek Hale was an awkward teenager, but he grew into himself. He grew out of that pulling pigtails phase. Shame that being reunited with his old crush brings it all back. Even worse: Stiles doesn't even seem to recognize him. Or does he?





	Been here before and it just feels right (strangers tonight)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bee4u](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bee4u/gifts).

> Technically based on two texts, but only one is used in the fic: he gave me an orgasm. multiple times. the weird stuff he did in middle school is now irrelevant.

Stiles Stilinski has been hitting on him for thirty minutes now and there is still no sign that he even knows who he’s talking to. 

Derek knows that he’s changed since high school, but he still recognizes Stiles. So it shouldn’t be that hard for Stiles to look past the stubble - he’s commented on Derek’s eyebrows many of times and he has it on good authority (Laura, Cora, and Erica) that they really have not changed all that much since he grew into his ears and face and gangly werewolf adolescent body. 

So why doesn’t Stiles recognize him?

The whining is unlike him, but Stiles has always been the exception to his usual rules of behavior, even when they were both awkward teenagers. No matter how composed Derek could be even in the midst of a basketball game when the pressure was all on his shoulders, one comment or look (or the absence of one) from Stiles left him growling and glowering and glaring at his classmate. 

Only to hide the part of him that wanted to blush of course - but Stiles didn’t know that. Stiles had taken the seeming anger at face value and gave back as good as he got, which only made Derek like him more and get even more embarrassed… A vicious cycle Laura still enjoys mocking him about. 

She claims that’s what older sisters are for - she is wrong. 

“It’s okay, sour patch dude,” Stiles hits him with something so close to that stupid high school nickname that he almost believes the other guy’s figured it out. “I like ‘em growly. Turns me on like nobody’s business - has ever since high school, but I’m sure you’re not here to discuss my awkward teenage crushes. Can I get you that drink?” 

Talk of high school and he still hasn’t figured it out? Beacon Hills’ Salutatorian (as if anyone would beat out Lydia Martin) and one of the smartest people Derek’s ever met is too caught up in flirting with what he thinks is a random hot stranger to look closely. 

It makes him angry - even though he’s learned not to let anger be his anchor, like it had been for a while in his teen angst (almost got his entire family killed) phase. He still has his pack, so they’re still his anchor - but that doesn’t mean the anger isn’t there anymore, covering up a thick layer of guilt that is never going to go away. 

Maybe that’s why he forgets to stop himself from speaking. 

“You don’t even recognize me, do you?” 

Oh, fuck. 

This is a terrible idea. This is just like high school. 

He is twenty-five years old. He should know better by now - but no, Stiles Stilinski is around and so he immediately regresses back to his sixteen year old self, like Revertigo is an actual fucking thing. Well, technically it is, but it isn’t called that. 

Not the point. 

“Should I?” Stiles’ honey eyes narrow, and isn’t that a familiar look. 

It’s that look that always got him hot under the collar, and he’s none too pleased to find out that it still does. He is supposed to be over this by now, he is not supposed to be that awkward kid anymore, feeling like Stiles is always putting a finger on his every insecurity. And then wiggling that finger inside the wound, like the asshole he is. 

And nothing Derek says or does ever seems to get to him. 

“Yes.” 

So he says as little as possible. Anything else he says would just give Stiles more ammunition, and he’s already shown too much weakness. He could have just mercilessly rejected Stiles and made a smartass comment as he walked away. He could have gotten the better of Stiles, but he hasn’t, because Stiles… Because Stiles. 

“Alright then,” Stiles is still grinning a flirtatious grin, “let me see the back.” 

Clearly he hasn’t made the connection yet. What does he think, that Derek is one of his one night stands? That he’s just suddenly going to recognize him just from seeing his ass? Because they hooked up once, or something? 

It is completely wrong, and kind of uncomfortable. Because an antagonistic high school relationship is about as far from sex as possible - no matter Derek’s teenage fantasies that are now going to cross over into his adult life, because he’s got a whole lot of new information and inspiration now. 

For once, he’s so glad he lives alone. 

“What.” 

No inflection, not even the hint of it being a question. That’s almost a hint he’s giving Stiles, because he used to complain and/or joke about that all the time back in high school. 

“Turn around, dude,” Stiles is still into that nickname. “Full three-sixty.” 

There is no way he’s getting out of this one. Sure, he can walk off in a huff, but that would mean that he wouldn’t interact with Stiles anymore - that would mean giving up on that stupid high school crush going anywhere. Though it would mean not facing the disappointment of Stiles not recognizing him (potentially even with the 360 view). 

Wow, he is still pathetic and because Isaac is actually around here somewhere, his entire pack is not going to let him live it down. Not ever. 

Stiles is grinning at him, wagging a finger at him to make him turn around. Maybe Stiles is just an ass man and he’s using this as an excuse for a stupid pick up line. Derek would not put that past him. Not at all. 

Still, he follows orders, for once. He’s the Alpha. He’s used to leading the pack himself. But here, with Stiles, he just turns slowly, not sure what kind of response he is hoping for. 

“Derek fucking Hale,” Stiles sounds delighted, still. “I’d recognize that ass anywhere.” 

For a second, everything just stops, because Stiles really does recognize him. And then he pushes the feelings down, because Stiles only recognizes his ass. 

That’s…. Flattering, he supposes. 

It doesn’t feel it though. It feels superficial and stupid and like he should get the hell out of here because he is clearly still in far too deep and Stiles doesn’t give a damn about him and never will. Now he feels just as pathetic as he did in high school. 

And it’s awkward now, because he hasn’t responded to something Stiles would consider a sincere compliment. And all Derek has done is stare at the wall. He hasn’t even completed the full 360 turn. 

So maybe he should do that. 

“Are you blushing?” Stiles notices it immediately. 

Any denial would just make it more obvious, so he says nothing, just arching an eyebrow in the snarkiest way he knows how (he practiced on Laura a lot) and waiting for Stiles to say something else. Maybe then he will know what to say. 

“You’ve changed a lot since high school, big guy,” that is a new nickname, one that is more flirtatious than the old ones. “Apart from the ass, of course. But you sure as hell didn’t have facial hair when I last saw you. And you’ve… beefed up, quite a bit. Are you taller?” 

What is he supposed to say to that? Is there anything he can say that is flirty but doesn’t force him to put himself out there too much? He just doesn’t want to deal with the ensuing awkward rejection. Because it is very likely that Stiles is no longer interested in flirting with him now that he knows who Derek is. 

And he can’t blame him. 

“You’re more monosyllabic than I expected,” Stiles does not stop talking, because clearly he has not changed. “Where did the sass go, Der-Bear?” 

He is supposed to be better at dealing with crushes now, now that he is actually an adult. But it turns out that nothing has changed. Maybe because the last time he had an awkward crush, it was Stiles. It still is Stiles. 

Sure, he’s been on dates since, has had a girlfriend for a while in college and managed to come out on the other end completely fucked up and uninterested in any future relationships. He’s been sticking with one night stands for the last few years, and if the guy in front of him had been anyone but Stiles fucking Stilinski, he would be halfway to his apartment by now. 

But it’s Stiles. 

“Left it at home tonight,” Derek just lets his inner teenager take over, because he might as well. “I don’t need it if I don’t have a worthy opponent.” 

Stiles’ friend reappears and pushes a drink at him before stepping out of the figurative minefield between him and Derek. There is a hint of wolf about him, but he doesn’t seem to think that Derek is a threat (to himself or to Stiles), so he disappears into the crowd quickly. 

“So I’m worthy,” Stiles’ oral fixation certainly hasn’t changed. 

The way he chases the straw around the glass with his tongue is pornographic - and has been since he was just a freshman having milkshakes with his Sheriff father. Making Derek feel awkward and super guilty and happy that no family members were around to smell his embarrassed arousal. 

“Are you?” Derek has to deflect, or stammer awkwardly. 

Of course Isaac then briefly pops out of the woodwork to grin at him mockingly while pretending to scent the air in the most exaggerated fashion, only to disappear before Derek can call him out on it. The First Beta position really has gone to his head. 

Asshole. 

Still, he’d rather Isaac be an asshole than be the way he found him, freshman year of college. 

“You’ve always brought out your highest level sass for the occasion,” Stiles bats his eyelashes at him like a loon. “Because I’d be disappointed with you if you didn’t try your best when hating me for no apparent reason.” 

Hating Stiles? For no apparent reason? Sure, he knows that Stiles didn’t even have the slightest clue of how into him Derek was, but actual hate? Is this Stiles being a drama queen or does he actually think Derek hated him?

Shit, does Stiles hate Derek? Was he that much of an asshole in high school? 

“You’re an idiot,” he rolls his eyes at Stiles. 

It is an automatic response, something even years of distance hasn’t managed to drag out of him. When he has the opportunity, roll his eyes, call Stiles something harmless but slightly mean to hide how much he’d rather be kissing him. Or blowing him. Or fucking him. Or getting fucked by Stiles, or… Or all of these. 

Or having his babies, even though even with werewolves that’s not possible. But Stiles would be a good dad, and fuck no he cannot do this again. He is an adult now and should know better. 

But Stiles can never know how much Derek actually likes him. 

“Just like that,” Stiles doesn’t smell hurt though. 

Still, just because he does or does not smell something, doesn’t mean that he is not an asshole who has been hurting Stiles’ feelings. And even though he was raised by wolves (thanks Laura for cracking that joke all the time), he knows better than to willfully do that. 

Talia Hale did not raise a fuckboy. 

Yes, that is a direct quote from Laura. 

“I didn’t hate you,” he rushes to reassure Stiles, without looking at him. “I don’t hate you.” 

Laura can never find out about this conversation - she’s been mocking his high school crush-related awkwardness for years, and the only reason she stopped is because of Jennifer. After all that ended… well the jokes would have just been in bad taste, even for Laura. 

“You were really good at acting like it,” Stiles is pouting, and it’s… distracting. 

“I had a crush on you,” Derek blames the pout for that revelation. “I was embarrassed.” 

Well, there goes about a decade of supposedly sly crushing on Stiles Stilinski. But that is supposedly better than having Stiles think he is an unrepentant asshole - he really wants Stiles to think more of him than that. He’s no Jackson Whittemore. 

“Scott, you owe me fifty bucks,” Stiles speaks in a completely normal volume. 

So the friend is a werewolf - Derek is assuming that Scott is drinks guy and that there was some kind of stupid bet related to him. And he’s not disappointed. He’s not. 

Only he is. 

“You’re an asshole,” he sighs, because he kind of deserves this. 

“Who? Me?” Stiles bats his eyelashes dramatically, that fucking mouth stuck in a pout. 

That. Fucking. Mouth. 

It’s been the bane of his existence since middle school, in so many different ways. It isn’t even just the non-stop porn part of his (teenage) brain, but also the part of him that would never give up easily and loves Stiles’ quick wit and the way he never lets Derek win. 

He’s an Alpha - but that doesn’t mean he wants a potential partner to just roll over. Fuck no. 

“You’ve known who I was all along, didn’t you?” He just has to ask, even though the answer is obvious to him - now. 

“Of course,” Stiles confirms it with that smug grin of his. “Who do you take me for? I noticed you right away. Because honestly, who wouldn’t? Damn, dude! And then Scott and I made a bet to see if I could finally get you to own up to that crush.” 

Because Stiles talks so fast, Derek almost misses the compliment that Stiles manages to stuff in between the smugness. He forces himself not to preen at the compliment about his looks, because even though he wants Stiles to think that he’s attractive, he’s a little too caught up in that single word… 

“Finally?” 

“I’ve known since sophomore year.” 

Now that is embarrassing. Mostly because if Stiles knew, and he never did anything about it, it means that he never had a chance. It means that Stiles could have just… said something or done something because he knew that Derek would have said yes. 

But he didn’t, so….

“Only two years late,” he has to lash out in the face of that discovery. 

It is only making him sound more pathetic, revealing that he’s had a crush on Stiles for half his life (not that Stiles knows this is a current state), but at least this way he is not the only pathetic one. Because it took Stiles two years to figure it out. 

So there, Stiles! 

“You’re a disaster,” Stiles sounds fond, actually. 

Derek does the eyebrow thing again, because he can. “What’s your excuse?” 

Nothing is getting the response he expects from Stiles - which means things are still the same. It is still just as frustrating as it was when he was a stupid teenager. 

“Oh, you know,” Stiles gestures, almost knocking his half empty glass into a random bargoer, “I was a little distracted myself. Not just by your stupid ears and your adorable bunny teeth and that damn smirk you had on your face everytime you thought you’d gotten the better of me. No, that’s not the poi- I was just… I was hoping we’d have one of those stupid high school cliche moments where you’d tell me to shut up all growly and sexy and I’d tell you to make me and then we’d make out a ton and maybe have hot sex in the backseat of your fucking porn car.” 

From the corner of his eye he can see Stiles’ friend Scott slap a fifty in Stiles’ hand, midway through the little monologue, before turning on his heel and getting the fuck out of there. Because of course he does not want to be in the middle of this. 

Who would? The dozen or so people who’ve been eavesdropping on their conversation for a good ten minutes now. Derek is just hoping no one has started filming this yet, because that would be just his luck. 

“Laura would have killed us both for defiling her car,” Derek has to get this conversation back to some kind of less mind-blowing discussion. “Worth it, though.” 

He can never tell his sister that Stiles calls her precious Camaro a porn car. Sure, the car made him look super badass in high school, but it is extremely impractical and any screwing around would have been much better in Stiles’ jeep. Way more room. 

“Asshole.” 

That’s all that Stiles says. Just that one word. 

“I’m the asshole?” 

Derek has to check that he heard that right. Because as far as he can see, the person stringing the other person along is supposed to be the asshole. 

“The asshole who should have just asked me out,” Stiles huffs like the drama queen he is. 

“Right,” Derek adds an eye roll, “and you wouldn’t have made fun of me?” 

That is a risk. Asking Stiles out and getting mercilessly rejected? Derek knows that he was only popular because he was - and is - good at sports, not because anyone actually liked him. He has no illusions about his personality. 

He is not an innately likeable guy. 

“With all of my friends? Derek, you are so out of my damn league that we might as well be on different planets. You were the star athlete and I was the weirdo who got detention all the time for correcting the teacher’s mistakes and writing the supposedly wrong essay. I just figured you’d figure out how much better you could do and get the hell over it, so I just…” 

Wow, Stiles is an idiot. But, well… Derek has been into this idiot for at least a decade now. 

“Shut up, Stiles.” 

Silence. All he gets is silence - from Stiles, the guy who can’t ever seem to shut the fuck up, not even if people beg him. That’s not supposed to happen. Stiles basically gave him the script verbatim. All he has to do is keep up. He can do that. Stiles can keep up.

“This is where you say make me,” he prompts Stiles one more time. 

They are far too far apart to make this as exciting and sexy as Stiles had apparently been envisioning it back in high school. So he takes a step closer, so that when Stiles gets with the program, they can get right into it. Or something. 

He’s probably fucking it all up. He’s good at that. 

“Are you serious?” Stiles is staring at him still, instead of going along with it. 

“No, I’m Remus,” he makes a pun he knows Stiles will love to hate. “Yes, I’m serious.” 

Of course Stiles groans at that, because even though he loves Harry Potter puns, he’s never going to act like it. That would be embarrassing - and God forbid Stiles do anything embarrassing. Ever. 

Like, say, his entire high school career. Stiles did so much embarrassing shit, and Derek’s crush never faded in the slightest. So they’re both idiots, really. 

“I can’t believe I ever thought you were hot,” Stiles is really bad at hiding his grin. 

Stiles sets aside his drink and gives Derek a challenging look. Right then, once more unto the breach. Another fight - because they both love it a little too much to give it up, even though they probably should be beyond pulling metaphorical pigtails. 

“Shut up.” 

He’s smiling as he takes another step closer. They both are. It may have taken them a decade or so, but it looks like they just might finally….

Stiles picks up on his cue. “Make me.” 

It is difficult to kiss when both parties are smiling, but they make it work, and soon it is easier because why smile when they can keep kissing? 

“Finally.” 

Derek isn’t sure who said it. Was it Stiles? Did he say it? Does it matter?

Probably not. 

** _Laura the Wise, 9:53 AM: did u go home with stiles fucking stilinski last night??!?! 13 yo you would be so proud!!!!! *eggplant*_ **

** _Laura the Wise, 10:31 AM: he was such a weird kid. cant believe u were into him. u have terrible taste little bro_ **

** _Laura the Wise, 11:09 AM: didnt he blow up the chem lab by accident? cuz he was making perfume for that Lydia girl? is that really the dork you’ve chosen?_ **

** _To: Laura the Wise, 11:23 AM: _ ** ** _he gave me an orgasm. multiple times. the weird stuff he did in middle school is now irrelevant._ **

** _Laura the Wise, 11:29 AM: gross_ **


End file.
